Lee Haney - “Too Many Gurus” | Become Your Own Coach
Lee Haney: "Too Many Gurus"
The 8x Mr. Olympia Says Become Your Own Coach
Over the last 10-12 years, I’ve seen a trend among amateur and even pro bodybuilders hiring coaches or so-called “gurus” to guide them through contest preparation. What I find disturbing, more recently, is the glut of self-proclaimed gurus offering their services when in many cases, they have never competed themselves. In some cases, they have zero track record of success— and there are even some who are totally anonymous, operating on the Internet under some crazy fake name/identity they invented.
Why is this such a big deal? This may sound like an exaggeration, but people are literally putting their lives in the hands of these coaches. In the final days leading up to and including the day of the event, some are recommending very dangerous dehydration protocols and even potentially deadly drugs to “hit your peak.” I am all about education and above all else, health and safety. So this month, I want to talk about how I prepared for contests on my own, how you can too— and if you do decide to hire someone to help you, how to make absolutely sure they are qualified and have not only your winning in mind, but also your health.
“Old-School” Methods Still Work Best!
One myth being propagated by these new online gurus is that they have advanced new methods to get you in shape that the “old-school” guys don’t know about. There is no such thing as “old-school” when it comes to nutrition or training, any more than there is such a thing as a “new wheel.” The concept of a round wheel is an old one, sure. But guess what? It still rolls! And if you try and make a square wheel, good luck with that new design. There are such things as time-tested and proven methods that have worked for many years, and continue to be effective.
Rich Gaspari set a whole new standard for contest condition in the 1980s without a guru. Lee Labrada never had one, and neither did Arnold, Frank Zane or Robby Robinson. And I did it on my own— all the way from winning the Teenage Mr. America at 214 pounds to the Nationals, Mr. Universe and eight Mr. Olympia titles at 240-250 pounds. How did we do it? It took some time and effort, but we simply kept detailed records of everything we ate, and used the scale and the mirror to gauge what effects they had on our physiques. This is essentially trial and error, but over time it’s how you learn exactly how your own body works and how it responds to various types of foods, amounts of macronutrients, etc.
When I say that I did it all on my own, that’s not entirely true because I did also rely on my training partners as a second set of eyes. These were men like Robert “Superman” Blount, Ty “Ropeman” Felder and Fred Richards, each of whom were training with me for several years and several major contests each. They also all competed. I trusted them to be honest with me and tell me if I was looking too flat, holding water and so on. Based on what I saw plus their input, I would do things like increase or decrease my carbohydrates. A couple of times over the years, things didn’t go as I had planned. For example, I peaked too early for my first Mr. Olympia in 1983 and came in flat and over dieted. But because I kept notes on everything, I knew what went wrong and corrected it the next time and won.
Being Your Own Guru
A guru really can’t do anything for you that you can’t do yourself. They will give you a diet to follow, then pretty much check in with you and assess how it’s working, either in person or via photos. People like to hire someone else for several reasons. One is a lack of confidence in their own abilities and/or knowledge. Don’t be lazy— the information you need is all out there! One reason I founded the IAFS was so that people could get all the right knowledge. If you study for my Ultimate Bodybuilding certification and pass, I guarantee you that you’ll have all the tools you need to not only get yourself in top shape, but others as well.
Another reason people hire gurus is because they simply want to abdicate all responsibility to someone else. If they don’t get in shape, they can blame the coach! How ridiculous is that? It’s your body. No one else can know it as well as you, and you shouldn’t put it in someone else’s hands. It’s your success or failure, so make it your own.
If you don’t feel you have a strong enough knowledge of nutrition to formulate a diet, it’s time to start learning. Write down everything you eat and how much and what type of fluids you drink, plus all the supplements you take. Record your workouts and cardio sessions. Take regular photographs under the same lighting, and find someone with a good eye for physiques who you can trust to offer an honest opinion of your progress. Record your bodyweight and if possible, have your body fat tested at regular intervals as well. Doing all this, you should definitely be able to guide yourself into contest condition. And if you aren’t achieving the results you want to, you have all your detailed notes and records to see what needs to change.
If You Do Decide to Work With Someone
I can’t emphasize this enough: if you hire someone to be your coach, make certain they are qualified for the job. There are far too many self-proclaimed experts out there today, and most of them know diddly-squat! Look for someone who has competed him or herself at a very high level, and who has also guided others to success— in other words, a solid track record. Look for those who stress training, cardio and nutrition to get in shape, not drugs. There are people out there who will have you stop drinking fluids 48 hours before a contest and use powerful diuretics like injectable Lasix. Great way to “dry out,” they will say. More like a great way to go to the hospital, or worse, the morgue. I feel so strongly about this subject that I recently flunked a student taking his certification test for answering just one question wrong, because the question was about eliminated subcutaneous water. You can hire a guru as long as you take the time to find one who is truly knowledgeable and qualified. Or, you can put in the time and effort and do it on your own. Hey, it worked pretty well for me!
DISCUSS THIS ARTICLE ON THE MD FORUM